Month: January 2025

Antonio Conte expects Chelsea to get even better as his players continue to adapt to his methods and ideas, despite the team closing in on the Premier League title.

A 2-1 win at Stoke City on Saturday protected Chelsea s 10-point cushion at the top of the table, with just 10 games remaining, while Conte s side have also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

The Italian believes his team have bought into his philosophy and he backed Chelsea to continue to improve as he spends more time working on his squad.

This season is very important because my players are understanding my idea of football, Conte said. They are adapting to my system, to my philosophy of football. We are building something important.

I think my players are fully in my idea of football…

Rafael van der Vaart says he never expected Real Madrid to sign Gareth Bale and has described Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as suffocating .

Attacking midfielder Van der Vaart played with Madrid forward Bale during his time at Tottenham. The Dutchman left White Hart Lane for Hamburg in 2012, with Bale moving to the Santiago Bernabeu for a world-record transfer fee in September 2013.

Bale has enjoyed success with Madrid, winning the Champions League, Copa del Rey, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup with the club.

However, Bale was criticised for his performances last season and has been limited to just seven appearances so far this campaign due to injuries.

And, in an interview with Canal Plus, Van der Vaart said: I never thought Bale would end up p…

Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek wants to join Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, according to . It has been reported by the Spanish news outlet that Van de Beek wanted to leave Premier League giants United in the summer of 2021.

The Netherlands international midfielder is still at Old Trafford, but the 24-year-old wants to move to Spanish and European giants Real Madrid in the summer of 2022. Van de Beek has made  in the Premier League for the Red Devils so far in his career, scoring one goal in the process.

Van de Beek is a peripheral figure at United, and it is really hard to see the Dutch midfielder get much playing time in the coming weeks and months. It is very likely that the Premier League and European powerhouse will sell him at the end of the se…

Manchester United s Owen Hargreaves is set to be sidelined for five weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered against Wolves last weekend, Sir Alex Ferguson said Tuesday.

The United manager also ruled veteran Ryan Giggs out of Wednesday s Manchester derby.

England midfielder Hargreaves, making his first senior United start since September 2008, lasted just five minutes before indicating he was injured and was replaced by Bebe.

Ferguson now expects the 29-year-old Hargreaves to be unavailable until the middle of next month, although the former Bayern Munich favourite could feature in the busy Christmas programme.

We were at the stage where we knew Owen s knee was okay, Ferguson told Key 103 radio station.

His training performances for eight or n…

Chilean football faced a crisis at the top on Tuesday after Jorge Segovia s election as president of the country s football federation (ANFP) was ruled illegal.

The Spanish businessman took over the post three weeks ago, defeating sitting president Harold Mayne-Nicholls who was seeking a second term of office.

But Segovia was on Tuesday told to step aside after the ANFP invalidated his appointment, citing a conflict of interest as several businesses run by the owner of Chilean side Union Espanola are under contract with the federation.

The ANFP s decision could pave the way for Marcelo Bielsa to make a surprise return as Chile coach.

The Argentinian quit his post after Segovia s election over Mayne-Nicholls on November 4 by 28 votes to 22.

Bielsa…

Harry Kane and Dele Alli both scored twice as Tottenham thrashed Stoke City 4-0 at the Britannia Stadium to cut the gap on Premier League leaders Leicester City to five points.

Claudio Ranieri s men had to settle for a 2-2 draw with West Ham on Sunday and Spurs capitalised to cut the deficit with four games remaining.

Kane s sublime strike settled any early nerves in the ninth minute and Alli made it two midway through the second half.

The former MK Dons midfielder then missed an open goal, but was relieved to see Kane put the result beyond doubt soon after, while Alli made amends with a well-struck volley eight minutes from time.

The rout leaves Spurs as the highest scoring team in the top flight and they also boast the best defence, while Stoke s top-si…

Hugo Lloris believes Tottenham s great team spirit could prove to be vital in their chase for silverware as they prepare to take on Colchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Mauricio Pochettino s men have been in sublime form this season and are still in the running to potentially win the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup.

The League Cup in 2007-08 represents the last time Spurs lifted a trophy, but Lloris is hopeful of ending that wait in 2015-16.

Team spirit is one of the key things for the next three or four months – we have to do it all together, Lloris told the official Spurs website. 

We have to push ourselves together. Spirit is so important in football because it s a collective sport and of course we need more – we need…

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho at Manchester United on December 19, 2018, and despite his credentials having at times come under question, the Red Devils points record makes for surprising reading. 

United having taken a total of 65 Premier League points in the 365 days the Norwegian has been in charge, behind only Leicester City, who are flying under Brendan Rodgers, Manchester City and league leaders Liverpool.

An immediate upturn in form following Mourinho s sacking saw United win their first six Premier League matches under Solskjaer, and they went unbeaten in the top flight until a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on March 10 a run of 12 games.

United s fine league form and progression past Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League saw Solskjaer handed …

Lucas Digne s scored a wonderful free-kick in second-half stoppage time to salvage Marco Silva s Everton a 2-2 draw with his former club Watford at Goodison Park.

France international Digne beat Ben Foster from a set-piece in the 96th minute to save Silva from defeat against the team that sacked him last January following links to Everton.

Watford looked set to triumph when Abdoulaye Doucoure scored two minutes after an own goal from Seamus Coleman to overturn former Hornet Richarlison s first-half opener.

Gylfi Sigurdsson had a penalty saved five minutes after Doucoure s effort but Digne came good at the death to deny Watford a first win in six Premier League outings.

FT | rescues a point with the latest of late goals and what a strike it was!